Utility vehicles for off-road and recreational use may have two rows of seats, with one row behind the other, for seating 4 to 6 passengers. A cargo box also may be provided behind the second or rear seat. Some utility vehicles have a rear seat and a cargo box that are fixed. However, when the second or rear seat is not used for carrying passengers, it is desirable to use that space for carrying cargo.
For that reason, some utility vehicles include a rear seat that is retractable and a cargo box that is expandable into the space formerly occupied by the rear seat. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,994,388; 7,578,544; 7,581,780; 7,841,639; and RE42,086 relate to pickup-style utility vehicles with conversion mechanisms to retract the rear seat and expand the cargo box into the rear seat area. These conversion mechanisms may require two persons and/or multiple steps to retract the rear seat and expand the cargo box, and are subject to wear over time that may slow or interfere with their use.
A convertible cargo rack for a utility vehicle is needed that can be converted from a rear seat to a cargo rack by one person with a minimal number of steps. A convertible cargo rack is needed for a utility vehicle that is simple and quick to operate, and has few mechanical components that are subject to wear that may restrict their use.